St. Louis boys’ tennis repeats as Div. III state champions behind doubles and singles titles

Monroe, LA (KPLC) - The St. Louis boys’ tennis team made history in 2021 becoming the first team in program history to win a state championship. The Saints doubled down on that this year as the team brought home the 2022 Division III Boys’ Tennis State Title Wednesday at Heard Stadium on the campus of ULM in Monroe.

The Saints’ title run was anchored once again by a pair of individual state champions as Kai Reinauer successfully defended his singles title as did the doubles team of Eli Crawford and Kai’s brother, Benjamin Reinauer.

St. Louis’ team total of 16 points was more than enough to down U-High’s 11 points to be crowned champs. Like last year, every St. Louis player to make the tournament won a match in the bracket.

Kai Reinauer proved to be another year wiser and stronger in 2022 as the junior cruised through the bracket in straight sets this season for the DIII singles championship. Reinauer was able to top Jacob Jones in the championship 6-1, 6-1 to close out the dominant run. The two met in last year’s semifinal round which also resulted in Reinauer sweeping the sets.

St. Louis’ Dillon Darby also made a strong run in the bracket as he fell to Newman’s Mitchell Nelson in the quarterfinal round, 6-3, 6-1.

On the doubles side, Crawford and Reinauer made a perfect run through the bracket having never lost a single set. The pair also did the same last season en route to the title. The duo toppled U-High’s Jackson Belcher and Dylan Rousselle for the championship, 6-4, 6-0.

In addition, St. Louis’ other doubles team of Camden Watkins and Miller McFatter, won three matches before bowing out to Belcher and Rousselle in the semifinals, 6-2, 6-3.